Read: Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America

I just typed a really eloquent long freaking review of this book.. and LJ killed it. *F You!!!

I had not heard any reviews or read anything about this book. I found it while googling Black Lives Matter book recommendations. In an effort to educate myself and be able to discuss history of Black America, I'm trying to read more on the history and struggles. I purchased it from an independent bookstore in Furguson, Missouri. Today I finished it and read the New York Times review from 2011. I completely agree with the final statement of the review "Sometimes writers tell us something familiar — something that we already know, or that we should know — but they do it in such a creative and cleareyed way and with such force that we begin to see things differently independent of any new information."

Things that I took from the book:(1) History of Jim Crow laws and the generational understanding of race struggles(2) Reasoning behind wealthy Blacks blaming poor Blacks for thier own situation rather than the institutional reasons(3) Black America was unified as one body during the Civil Rights movement but over time in an attempt to be equals, there is no unification. Today there is no solid Black America, only Black Americans. (4) Struggles of immigrants and biracial people in America. I'd like to read more about this and will likely look into it.. add some immigrant books to the list neslihan and I are going through together! :) On this note, I enjoyed the references to Barack Obama and his struggle as a biracial "black leader" and how that has effected the culture of Black Americans. Many Black people did not support his candidacy because he wasn't black enough and didn't offer many special privileges to blacks who felt they deserved special treatment. Obviously, a lot of white people were against him too, for being too black. He just couldn't win.. BUT HE DID! (5) Think about the way Blacks are treated in general society, regardless of their socio-economic status.. they can't escape judgement from "old timers" as well as new immigrants and one another.

I would definitely recommend this if you are into case studies and books that really inform you and make you think simultaneously about what you think you know. I really had to think about the things I've believed about different sects of the Black community here- stereotypes of the poor, and judgment of the wealthy, and why people struggle and police still target them.

My next read will be We by Y. Zamyatin.. it is the first book in the Bil-Leslie book club! There is still time to get in the book club, just order a book on your ereader or in paper copy and we'll read together and chatter away.